An aero gas turbine engine is typically transported to a test cell using an overhead trolley system which requires strict safety procedures to be followed during its operation and particularly during the transfer of the engine from the build stand to the overhead trolley system. The operator of the overhead trolley system must also exercise extreme care while transporting and manually manipulating the turbine engine so as not to damage any parts of the engine while, for example, docking the engine to the test cell. Such overhead trolley systems require relatively large assembly/testing plants and greatly limit any floor layout reconfiguration of the engine assembly/testing plants.
Floor mobile systems have also been used in the past for transporting engines, but they generally have large footprints and still require other intermediate transition systems to handle the engines from the build stand to the docking system and to connect the docking system to the test bench. The transfer of the engine from the floor mobile system to such intermediate transition systems results in extra manipulation steps and, thus, increases the likelihood of the engine being damaged.
There is thus a need for a new transport system which offers a better control of the load transfer process of the gas turbine engine to and from the transport system and which facilitates and minimize the engine manipulations.